Michelin IMSA Insider: Q&A With Tony Ménard

This weekend’s races at Lime Rock Park marks the final IMSA event for Tony Ménard (pictured above, left), as director of motorsport, Michelin North America as he returns to France to take on a new assignment.

It was announced Tuesday that Jason Anzalone will succeed Ménard in the position beginning Aug. 1.

Below is a Q&A, courtesy of Michelin, with Ménard reflecting on his three-year stint leading the North America motorsport department. 

What were the biggest challenges in your role?

Unfortunately, the biggest challenge was an unexpected one. Less than three months after I officially took the role, the pandemic hit. We were ready to go to Sebring at that time with 12,000 tires already on site.

Logistics were in place, and we had to pack everything.  Managing this period while supporting IMSA to resume racing when the world was shut down was a real challenge.

Apart from the pandemic, I was used to living abroad after eight years in Asia, but you never know how you will adapt to a new country, new culture, and a new team. It is another kind of challenge, but for this one I was prepared.

What were the biggest surprises?

I did not realize, until my first race, how deep the passion was for cars and racing in the U.S. and Canada. When you are working in such an environment, it creates higher expectations.  However, the rewards are just as high.

What was your favorite part of the job?

The race weekends. You work hard and prepare with your team, our colleagues in France, and our partners like IMSA and Jackson Motorsports to make everything happen. And when it is time, you see all the pieces of the puzzle taking place. The other part that I will not forget are the simple moments you spend with nice people. This job gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of people I will remember for sure.

What is your impression of IMSA competition after spending three years on the circuit?

Great racing! In all series and all classes. John Doonan, Ed Bennett, and their team have built something which I call racing DNA. A place where innovation is rewarded, where the fans can access the drivers and the cars, where the car manufacturers want to be, and where you can find drivers from pros to amateurs enjoying their passion on wonderful tracks.

Because we are sharing goals and values, this is why IMSA is the best partner for Michelin in North America.

I would also like to highlight the vision of Mr. France for the future of our sport. The IMSA leadership and efforts to reach the desired collaboration with ACO must be noticed. Being French, and from Le Mans, I was impressed by the hard work led by IMSA to build these common platforms of GTP and Hypercar.

Last but not least, IMSA is an organization and partner that understands the current world’s challenges. From my first day, we had discussions on the best usage of our resources and how our sport must consider sustainability challenges. One of the three pillars of Michelin’s strategy focuses on the planet, and it is important for us to be able to count on partners who share our objectives and concerns.

Do you have a favorite track here?

That’s a difficult question. There are so many great tracks and places with history. Of course, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is a little bit special for me. But the unique atmospheres of Virginia International Raceway and Road America are unbelievable. It is difficult not to mention Watkins Glen for the show.

As a native of Le Mans, what are your expectations for the new LMDh and Le Mans Hypercars in 2023?

I am sure that LMDh and LMH will bring back sports car racing at his highest level. That is wonderful to imagine that you can win Le Mans and Daytona with the same car. I remember the spark in the eyes of several team managers and OEMs when we started to discuss it three years ago. I really look forward to seeing it happen, even as a spectator!

How difficult was it to race (and maintain supply) during Covid? 

You know, challenges are always moments where you learn a lot. You are not always prepared, you may not know what to do, but this is how you make progress. Maintaining supply was not easy, but we were able to do it. By joining forces with IMSA and our colleagues in France, we could anticipate what we thought could happen.

However, the most important part was to take care of people and our team. All the members of the Michelin Motorsport Team in North America did outstanding things during this period. We worked in difficult conditions, and the solidarity of efforts of each of our crew members were beyond what I imagined.  

The collaboration with our partner Jackson Motorsports was great and without their support, it would have been impossible to be back on track for July 5th, 2020, at Daytona.

What are you most excited about in the future for Michelin Motorsports?

Motorsports is a laboratory for the Michelin Group, and we are preparing the future of mobility. As you may have seen during the last Le Mans 24 Hours, we are now capable of developing a racing tire that is made of 53 percent sustainable (recycled or bio-sourced) materials. The Michelin Group’s objective is to have 100 percent of our tires being sustainable by 2050.

We are in 2022 and we have already a racing tire that is halfway there for the most demanding usages. This example illustrates why I am confident in the future of Michelin Motorsports.

We are racing where it makes sense for us, and we have the chance to hear our doors being knocked every time an OEM has a new technical challenge to face.  We have wonderful people on our team, and with the strength of our brand around the world, that can be only a winning combination.

What are you most excited about in the future for IMSA?

What IMSA is offering to its partners is great. The arrival of LMDh in 2023, the opportunity to lead changes in the GT world, the interests it creates from OE manufacturers, and the great shows it offers are key success factors.

IMSA also understands that in 2022, this sport has to lead by example on the questions related to sustainability. It is key to keep what makes IMSA unique. Great cars, great drivers, great tracks, the best partners, preparing the future and offering to fans something different are vital.

IMSA has everything in place to keep growing and developing its image by keeping these unique characteristics. There are hundreds of possibilities to race in the USA, and IMSA should remain on top of the pyramid where OE manufacturers, racers, and partners would like to be.